There's nothing fun about food allergies. The most unassuming meal can lead to skin rashes, asthma, gastrointestinal distress, muscle pain, headaches and other ailments. The first step in fighting food allergies is determining exactly what is making you sick. For this very reason, the Rotation Diet was created. There are several variations of the program but the basic principles are the same.

More a concept than a specific weight-loss plan, the Rotation Diet is a plan whereby whole foods (healthy carbohydrates, fats and proteins) are consumed usually on a four-day cycle. Dairy, wheat, gluten, eggs, sugar, yeast, coffee, alcohol, dried fruits, soda and other common contributors to food allergies are eliminated. Followers must choose from a list of acceptable foods. For example, day 1 offers a selection of lamb, beef, clams, tomato and spinach to name a few. On day 2, there's the option of chicken, celery, tuna, cherries, peaches and so on. Day 3 and day 4 also come with their own list of foods.

The most crucial rule of thumb is that if a food is consumed on day one, it should not be eaten again for the next three days. If Tuesday's meals contain tomatoes, grapes and cucumbers, these foods must be avoided until Saturday. Once the body has been cleaned out, foods can be introduced gradually at a pace of one new food every several days. If the symptoms return, it is easy to identify the foods causing the allergic reaction.

Following the Rotation Diet also has an added bonus for people struggling to lose the extra pounds. The absence of processed foods like pasta, rice, cookies, cakes and other refined carbohydrates promotes weight loss.